This Italian City Looks Frozen in the Middle Ages—and It’s World-famous for Chocolate

Perugia is the capital of Umbria—the central Italian region known as Italy’s “green heart”—and one of the country’s best preserved medieval cities. Established by the Etruscans (a pre-Roman civilization), it became one of Europe’s most important centers for textile production during the Middle Ages, exporting its embroidered textiles to the royal courts of Europe. That all changed in the 1500s when the Perugians rebelled against the pope’s tax on salt. As punishment, the pope forbade the city’s citizens from selling their textiles, plunging them into poverty.

“We were relegated to oblivion from the 1500s until Italian unification,” explains Marta Cucchia, who runs the Atelier Giuditta Brozzetti, a textile workshop founded by her great-grandmother about a century ago. “The city has its medieval walls intact because we didn’t have the Baroque or any other kind of development. We were frozen in 1540 and remained that way until the unification of Italy. Now we have a completely authentic medieval city, so now it’s an advantage.”

The other thing Perugia is famous for? Chocolate. Perugina Baci are the most famous chocolates produced here, but the city is full of chocolate shops and artisan makers. Yet despite its charms, it remains off the beaten path.

“I find that it’s not well known, which in a way is good because there’s no mass tourism. It’s remained authentic,” says Cucchia, whom I met on my first trip to Perugia. During my most recent visit, I returned to the atelier to get her local tips. Read on for the best hotels and resorts, things to do, places to shop and eat, and when to go to this enchanting destination, which I consider one of the best cities to visit in Italy.

Best Hotels & Resorts

Sina Brufani

The city’s grand dame, Sina Brufani, was established in 1884, and staying there feels like stepping into a time capsule. The rooms and suites are replete with antiques and oil paintings, while Collins’ Restaurant serves traditional Umbrian dishes in a formal, wood-paneled room with a telephone booth outside it. The indoor pool has a glass floor that reveals Etruscan ruins underneath.

Borgo dei Conti Resort

Located in the countryside about a 30-minute drive from Perugia, this Relais & Châteaux hotel emerged from an extensive renovation in 2024. Originally built in the 19th century as a private villa, it has two restaurants, a fabulous spa, an outdoor pool and cinema, and a 40-acre park that guests can explore on foot or by bicycle. Some rooms have wood-beamed ceilings, while others feature original frescoes.

Castello di Reschio

Occupying a castle that dates to the year 1050, this luxury hotel is owned and was designed by a count. The property sits on a massive 3,700-acre estate in the countryside about 45 minutes from Perugia by car. Much of the furniture is bespoke, created specifically to blend in with antiques sourced from markets around Italy. The subterranean spa is a highlight.

Vocabolo Moscatelli

Also about 45 minutes outside the city, this intimate boutique hotel is set inside a 12th-century monastery. A member of Design Hotels, it juxtaposes original stone walls with contemporary art and sleek, modern furnishings created by local makers. The restaurant serves creative cuisine that brings global flavors to this very traditional area while sourcing ingredients as locally as possible, including vegetables grown in the on-site garden.

Best Things to Do

Admire medieval art at the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria.

“The Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria has a special place in my heart because there are original medieval tablecloths from the 14th and 15th centuries,” says Cucchia, explaining that this museum inside the historic Palazzo dei Priori is a treasure trove of medieval art. “In my opinion, it’s a must-visit spot to understand the history of the city.”

See how Umbrian textiles are made at the Museo Atelier Giuditta Brozzetti.

Giuditta Brozzetti founded this atelier inside a deconsecrated church in the 1920s in order to help local women earn a living by weaving textiles. Today, thanks to Cucchia’s dedication, it’s one of the last remaining ateliers using antique looms to weave traditional Umbrian textiles. Make an appointment for a guided tour with Cucchia or one of the weavers who work with her to learn how they’re keeping this tradition alive. Or, buy or commission one of her pieces.

Learn about stained glass at the Studio Moretti Caselli.

Established in the 19th century by Francesco Moretti, this family-run workshop has created stained glass windows for churches, private homes, and other places over the course of its history. “Inside, it has one of the most beautiful works in Umbria, in my opinion. It’s a life-size stained glass window that depicts Queen Margherita,” says Cucchia. “Every time I go there, I stand in front of it for half an hour contemplating this incredible thing.” Now a museum/workshop, it’s open by appointment (guided tours can be booked ahead of time through the website).

Get lost in the narrow lanes around Piazza IV Novembre.

“On Sunday afternoons, when I can, I wander around the narrow lanes and discover incredible things,” says Cucchia, explaining that it’s one of her favorite things to do in Perugia. “Three years ago, I discovered an area where there was a terracotta factory in the early 1900s and there was the house of the owners with a whole collection of terracotta. Even after 50 years, I still discover new things.”

Best Shopping

Materia Ceramica

Artisan Maria Antonietta Taticchi paints all the ceramics by hand in this little shop on Via dei Priori. Having studied ceramics in Deruta (a nearby town famous for pottery), she creates one-of-a-kind plates, bowls, lamps, and other objects depicting the Umbrian countryside and villages.

Cioccolateria Gelateria Augusta Perusia

This artisanal chocolate shop makes a wide variety of pralines, truffles, and chocolate bars. You can sit and have a gelato or a cup of thick, rich hot chocolate in the shop, then fill a box with an assortment of delicious chocolates to take home with you.

Best Nightlife

Bistrot Priori Secret Garden

Many of the city’s bars cater to Perugia’s large student population, but this rooftop bar atop the four-star hotel of the same name is a great place to go for an aperitivo or after-dinner drink. According to Cucchia, the hotel “has been nicely renovated with vintage furniture.”

Punto di Vista

When the weather is good, this casual bar is one of the city’s top spots for an aperitivo with a view. Cucchia loves this spot for its “marvelous view of the plains leading to Assisi.”

Best Restaurants

Osteria a Priori

“Osteria a Priori has always distinguished itself with its emphasis on slow food. They only use local products, like beans from the lake and lentils from Casteluccio,” Cucchia says. “When I have visitors, I bring them there because I know we’ll eat well.”

Ristorante Il Giurista

Tucked away on a narrow street just off Piazza IV Novembre, this cozy restaurant with vaulted brick ceilings serves authentic Umbrian dishes like prosciutto from Norcia and umbricelli pasta with wild boar ragù. There’s a whole section of the menu dedicated to black truffles, which pair well with a nice Sagrantino di Montefalco, a full-bodied red wine produced nearby.

Bottega del Vino

“Aside from the location, which is great because it’s near the cathedral with a nice window that looks out onto Piazza IV Novembre, they have great cuisine—very fresh, though a bit less Umbrian than Osteria a Priori. It’s an enoteca, so there are rivers of wine and also live music,” Cucchia raves, calling this wine bar/restaurant her favorite place for an evening out.

Pasticceria Sandri

Opened in 1860, this historic pasticceria is run by the fifth generation of the Schucani family. The long, narrow café with frescoed ceilings, art nouveau counters, and chandeliers has cases of pastries and artisanal chocolates as well as sandwiches and other savory items. Grab a seat outside or at the back of the shop, have an espresso and a pastry standing at the bar, or buy some chocolate to bring home.

Best Time to Visit

“Usually September is a beautiful time of year, but if you don’t mind the cold, my favorite month is November because the air is fresh and the sunsets are incredible, with orange contrasting against the black contours of the trees,” says Cucchia.

In terms of events, the big ones you might want to plan a trip around are the Umbria Jazz Festival, which takes place in Perugia every July, and the EuroChocolate Festival, which happens in the fall.

How to Get There

San Francesco d’Assisi Airport (PEG) is the closest airport, but it’s mostly served by short-haul flights from elsewhere in Europe. If you’re coming from the U.S., it would make more sense to fly to Rome (FCO) or Florence (FLR) and then take the train or rent a car and drive to Perugia—you can expect the journey to take two to three hours.

How to Get Around

The historic center of Perugia is very compact and walkable, but it’s built on a hill. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk up and down steep roads and stairs. Much of its historic center is situated in a limited traffic zone, so if you rent a car, you’ll have to park it outside the old city walls.

Minimetrò and Buses: The Minimetrò connects the historic center to the Academy of Fine Arts, shopping centers, and the stadium. Tickets cost €1.50 and are valid for 70 minutes on the minimetrò and buses.

Taxi: Radio Taxi Perugia is the city’s taxi company. From San Francesco d’Assisi Airport to the historic center, there’s a fixed rate of €35 (plus possible surcharges for luggage), but usually fares are calculated based on the amount of time and distance you’re traveling.